Examining Governments’ Commitment to Reducing Inequality
Anthony Kamande, Oxfam’s Inequality Research Coordinator, reflects on growing up in Kenya and the launch of Oxfam’s latest ‘Commitment to Reducing Inequality’ Index 2022 As I sat down to write this article, I reflected a little bit on the power of public services. The fifth-born…
Climate Change is a Class Issue
By Max Lawson France, 2018. The country is paralysed by a huge series of protests against moves by President Macron to raise green taxation on fuel, whilst simultaneously abolishing the wealth tax on the super-rich. The protestors become known as the ‘Gilet Jaune’ or Yellow…
Debt as Slavery; Entire Nations Face a Cost-of-Living Crisis
By Max Lawson Not just people, entire nations are facing a cost-of-living crisis Spare a thought for the Finance Minister in his office in almost any of the world’s developing countries. He (it is still almost always a he) is struggling with an economy still…
AFRICA BEING PUSHED TO THE LIMITS: How the bid to meet IMF requirements creates a fertile ground for inequality.
By Lusungu Kacheche Dzinkambani African countries started their Covid-19 recovery period in a very parlous economic state. Poor people’s income fell sharply during the pandemic and according to UNECA, the pandemic forced 55 million into poverty in 2020. At the same time, Africa’s debt burden…
Africa is so rich in farmland – so why is it still hungry?
By Anthony Kamande and Dailes Judge It’s been more than two months since it rained in Nakuru County, Kenya, and Jane’s bean crop is long gone. Her only hope on her small plot of 0.8 hectares is the maize crop – but it will also…
Advertising, Inequality and the Madness of Capitalism
By Max Lawson Bullshit jobs When I was out walking my dog Marx earlier in the week, I got talking to another dog walker. I recognized her as she is always out with her dog, but generally talking quite loudly on her phone so we…
Explaining Oxfam’s Projections for Extreme Poverty in 2022
By Max Lawson This blog responds to Noah Smiths’ substack criticism of Oxfam’s extreme poverty numbers. Dear Noah, First of all, I would like to thank you for the scrutiny of our numbers, which I really believe increases accountability. As we did a couple of…
Monarchy, inequality and just how rich is the queen?
By Max Lawson Those who know me, know that I am not a royalist. This puts me firmly in a minority here in the UK. Six out of ten adults believe Britain should have a monarchy in the future, compared to just 22% who think…
Is science a public service, and are scientists public servants?
By Max Lawson Sometimes Davos has a way of creating moments of great theatre; where the elites who run the world can be in some ways held to account, or at least called out. On a panel this week at Davos, my boss, Gabriela Bucher…
Profiting from Pain
By Max Lawson We are living through extraordinary times. Extraordinarily bad for the vast majority of humanity. Extraordinarily good if you are one of the richest people in the world. Normally they meet in January at Davos, but that face-to-face meeting was postponed, due to…